This invention relates to a pet litter bag, and more particularly, to a disposable cat litter bag that is hygienic, simple to manufacture and use, and easy to erect and to dispose of.
Since ancient times domestic cats and humans have enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship. In exchange for food and shelter, the cat provides its owner with companionship and controls the population of mice, rats and vermin. For many generations, cats resided primarily in barns, granaries, warehouses and other outbuildings on the property of the owner. However, with the ever-increasing urbanization of society, cats have overtaken dogs as the most common pet, because they are more adapted to the indoor living conditions imposed by apartment houses and other small residences, which lack the open spaces that dogs require for roaming. Furthermore, cats can be trained to drop their waste indoors and do not require outdoor walking. In the urban society of today, domestic cats spend most of their time in houses and apartments, and it is not unusual for cats to live their entire life within such domestic confines.
Various problems are associated with the co-existence of humans and cats in such an indoor environment, including the acute and unpleasant problem of cat waste disposal. While the use of absorbent granular pet litter in open flat containers has achieved nearly universal acceptance, the replacement of the litter and the disposal of spent litter is messy and non-hygienic.
In addition, not all the waste is absorbed. Waste often adheres to the sides and bottom of the litter container, resulting in repelling odors, and necessitating periodic cleaning and disinfecting of the container itself. Furthermore, the cat""s natural inclination to bury its wastes often causes litter and waste to be thrown out of the container. Finally, cat waste and litter contain fleas and ticks that pose health problem to both the cat and cat owner. Most dangerous is a parasite found in cat waste, that causes toxoplasmosis, a harmful condition particularly for pregnant women.
Various disposable pet litter containers of different designs and configurations have been suggested by the prior art, some of which are complicated to erect and use, while others are more convenient to apply.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,420 to Shepard discloses an open container having an inner disposable liquid-proof bag attached to the container, making it possible to detach the bag after use and close the bag by means of a draw string prior to disposal. Containers of this kind are more hygienic, less messy, and less dangerous to the health of the owner of the cat and provide an easier method of disposal. However, repelling odor, as well as litter and waste thrown out of the container due to xe2x80x9cburyingxe2x80x9d, are still unsolved problems.
Other various disposable pet litter boxes of various designs have been suggested by the prior art, some of which are relatively complicated to erect and require various folding techniques. U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,781 to Roach and U.S. Pat. No. 5,027,748 to Wolak are examples of such litter boxes. Some of the above-mentioned litter boxes already contain the pet litter, while others require the addition of the pet litter after erection and prior to use. Although these sort of boxes solve most of the problems involved with open top flat litter containers, they are complicated to erect, relatively heavy and expensive.
Several disposable litter containers that are lighter and easier to erect have been disclosed. A typical example is U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,100 to Monk. However, these boxes are still relatively expensive to manufacture and purchase.
In a different approach, U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,527 to Skirvin discloses a paper construction that unfolds from a flat cardboard box. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,760,816 to Rhodes and U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,702 to Hasiuk, the container has an accordion-like pleated structure. Although these containers are light and easy to erect, they require large quantities of raw materials and are therefore expensive and wasteful.
An example of a more simple disposable pet litter container consisting of a paper tent-like closure unfolded from a cardboard flat box for holding the litter is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,981,104 to Godwin. In contrast to previously mentioned designs, the container taught by U.S. Pat. No. 4,981,104 is inexpensive to manufacture. A similar container that consists only of paper, tent-like walls and a thin cardboard bottom that form a closure for a cat is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,864 to Mannschreck. The container is purchased and stored in packages similar to ordinary packaging paper bags. Although this container is inexpensive, very light, and simple to store, it is particularly awkward to open, because of the closed top. Consequently, the container must be opened by inserting two hands into the container via the side opening (i.e., the small opening through which the cat enters and exits the structure), and then applying pressure against the walls from within. Similarly, fresh litter must be inserted, inconveniently, through the side opening.
There is therefore a recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a pet litter bag that is inexpensive, hygienic and simple to manufacture, and is particularly convenient to erect and use.
The present invention is a disposable cat litter bag, which is hygienic, and simple to manufacture and use.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a pet litter bag system that is convenient to erect and with which the handling of pet litter is less unpleasant.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a pet litter system that is easily disposed of.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pet litter system that is lighter and more convenient for shipment and storage.
It is also a further object of the present invention to provide a pet litter system that is more comfortable and roomy for a pet, for a given floor area.
According to the teachings of the present invention there is provided a disposable pet litter bag for receiving the waste of a household pet, the bag being made of stiff paper, including: (a) a bottom wall; (b) a first side wall connected to the bottom wall; (c) a second side wall connected to the bottom wall; (d) a rear wall connected to the bottom wall and to the first and second side walls; (e) a front wall connected to the bottom wall and to the first and second side walls; and (f) a mechanism for providing a secure closure between the rear wall and the front wall, wherein the first side wall, the second side wall, the rear wall and the front wall have pre-creased folding lines for folding the bag.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of using pet litter bag including the steps of: (a) providing the pet litter bag in a folded position, the bag consisting of: (i) a bottom wall; (ii) a first side wall connected to the bottom wall; (iii) a second side wall connected to the bottom wall; (iv) a rear wall connected to the bottom wall, the first side and second side walls; (v) a front wall connected to the bottom wall, the first and second side walls; and (vi) a mechanism for securely closing the rear and the front walls, the mechanism mounted on the upper end of the rear and the front walls; (b) separating the front and the rear walls to form a top opening in the pet litter bag.
According to one feature in the described preferred embodiments, the mechanism disposed on an upper end of the rear wall and the front wall.
According to a further feature in the described preferred embodiments, the pet litter bag further includes a side opening in a wall, the side opening being configured for ingress and egress of a pet.
According to another feature in the described preferred embodiments, the side opening is preformed by perforations.
According to yet another feature in the described preferred embodiments, the perforations have a substantially U-shape, such that upon tearing the perforations, a door is formed in the side opening.
According to still another feature in the described preferred embodiments, the door is designed and configured to close after ingress of the pet to the pet litter bag, and egress of the pet from the pet litter bag.
According to a further feature in the described preferred embodiments, the side opening is designed and configured to be closed and sealed.
According to yet a further features in the described preferred embodiments, the front and rear walls further include a pair of handles for carrying the pet litter bag.
According to still a further feature in the described preferred embodiments, the handles are designed and configured as the mechanism for providing the connection between the rear and the front walls. The mechanism is mounted on the upper end of the rear and the front walls.
According to a further feature of the described preferred embodiments, the secure closure includes a detachable connection.
According to yet a further feature of the described preferred embodiments, the secure closure includes flat flexible wire.
According to still a further feature of the described preferred embodiments the secure closure includes pressure adhesive disposed on the inner ends of the rear and front walls.
According to another feature of the described preferred embodiments, the detachable closure includes a first band having cylindrical protruding pins and a second band having complementary recesses for receiving the cylindrical protruding pins.
According to another feature of the described preferred embodiments, the detachable closure includes at least one loop and hook connection.
According to a further feature of the method, the top opening is formed by the step of: (c) applying an internal pressure against the first side wall and second side wall to establish the pet litter bag in a fully open position.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the method includes a further step of: (d) opening a side opening in a wall of the pet litter bag, the side opening having a U-shape thereby forming a door in the side opening.
According to yet a preferred embodiment of the invention, the method includes a further step of: (e) automatically closing the door after ingress of said pet to, and egress of the pet from the pet litter bag.
According to still a preferred embodiment of the invention, the applying of an internal pressure against the side walls is achieved by inserting hands via the top opening.
According to yet a further embodiment, the method further includes the step of: (e) introducing pet litter via the top opening.
According to another preferred embodiment, the method further includes the step of: (f) attaching the rear and front walls to close the top opening.
According to still another preferred embodiment, the method further includes closing and sealing the side opening.
According to yet another preferred embodiment, the method includes the attaching of the rear and front walls by folding over the top ends of the rear and front walls of the pet litter bag.
According to still another preferred embodiment, the attaching of the rear and front walls further includes bending a first flat flexible wire and a second flat flexible wire around the pet litter bag, thereby crimping closed or fastening closed the pet litter bag.
According to still another preferred embodiment, the attaching of the rear and front walls further includes vertically bending a flat flexible wire around the pet litter bag, thereby crimping closed or fastening closed the pet litter bag.
According to still another preferred embodiment, the method includes the attaching of the rear and front walls by a pressure adhesive.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the method includes the attaching of the rear and front walls by pressing a first band having cylindrical protruding pins into complementary recesses in a second band.
According to yet a further preferred embodiment, the method includes the attaching of the rear and front walls by connecting a plurality of loop and a hook connections.
The present invention successfully addresses the shortcomings of the existing technologies by providing a system for and method of housing a cat or other pet in a disposable pet litter bag, that is hygienic, inexpensive, and particularly convenient to erect, use and dispose of.